Matthew Shepard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Matthew Wayne Shepard December 1, 1976 Casper, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Died | October 12, 1998 (aged 21) Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Murder (blunt trauma) |
| Resting place | Washington National Cathedral |
| Alma mater | University of Wyoming |
| Parents | |
Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was an American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured, and left to die near Laramie on the night of October 6, 1998.[1] He was taken by rescuers to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he died six days later from severe head injuries received during the attack.
Suspects Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson were arrested shortly after the attack and charged with first-degree murder following Shepard's death. Significant media coverage was given to the murder and what role Shepard's sexual orientation played as a motive for the crime, as he was gay.
The prosecutor argued that the murder of Shepard was premeditated and driven by greed. McKinney's defense counsel countered by arguing that he had intended only to rob Shepard but killed him in a rage when Shepard made a sexual advance toward him. McKinney's girlfriend told police that he had been motivated by anti-gay sentiment, but later recanted her statement, saying that she had lied because she thought it would help him. Henderson pleaded guilty to murder, and McKinney was tried and found guilty of murder; each of them received two consecutive life sentences.
Shepard's murder brought national and international attention to hate crime legislation at both the state and federal level.[2] In October 2009, the United States Congress passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (commonly the "Matthew Shepard Act" or "Shepard/Byrd Act" for short), and on October 28, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law.[3] Following their son's murder, Dennis and Judy Shepard became LGBTQ rights activists and established the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Shepard's murder inspired a number of films, novels, plays, songs, and other works, including The Laramie Project (a 2000 play and 2002 film) and Judy Shepard's 2009 memoir The Meaning of Matthew.
- ^ "About Us". Matthew Shepard Foundation. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ^ "Matthew Shepard Foundation webpage". Matthew Shepard Foundation. Archived from the original on July 29, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
- ^ "Obama signs hate-crimes law rooted in crimes of 1998". USA Today. October 28, 2009. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved September 23, 2011.